Taylorsville City Newsletter | March 2024

MAYOR'S MESSAGE

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I am so pleased with how our Plaza +ART program has been going. Plaza +ART was created three years ago as a way to bring public art to Centennial Plaza in front of City Hall.

In just this short amount of time, it has brought dozens of sculptures to the plaza, essentially creating a free public, open-air gallery that can be viewed anytime — day or night. The 2023-24 Plaza +ART season includes 18 sculptures by local and area artists that have been installed at the plaza. To date, the program has also brought us three Evening of Art events where artists are on hand to speak about their work, and a few more are planned again this year.

I love these free, public Evening of Art events. I always learn something new, and hearing the passion of the artists about their work is inspiring. You can read more about our latest Evening of Art, held this past month and featuring artists Doug and Dianne Adams, on Page 3 of this section.

I believe this recent focus on art has brought so much to our community. It has enhanced our city with beauty, conveying new ideas and ways of looking at the world. The artists’ contributions have further connected our community.

So, if you haven’t already visited Centennial Plaza to see the sculptures, you’ll de nitely want to do so. And if you have, stop by again. We’ve added two new sculptures in the last couple of months: “Rift” by Ted Schaal, which replaces a piece that was unveiled at the start of our 2023-24 season but was recently sold, and “Guitar” by Deveren Farley. We are thrilled to have this piece now on permanent display at Centennial Plaza after its recent purchase by the city.

You can learn more about the Plaza +ART program on our website, www.taylorsvilleut.gov, and Plaza +ART now has a new Facebook page with lots of information about upcoming events and a “Feature Friday” each week that highlights the artists who currently have sculptures on display. I can’t thank Taylorsville residents Janean and Dan Toone enough for their vision in creating this fabulous program and continuing to run with it.

Truly, the art walk at Centennial Plaza is filled with the imagination, wonder and beauty created by these talented artists. Their artwork is simply amazing, and I am beyond grateful that it is now a de ning part of our Taylorsville home.

—Mayor Kristie S. Overson

WHAT’S INSIDE – MARCH 2024

Frequently Called Numbers, Page 2 Council Corner, Page 3 TVPD News, Page 6

Heritage Remembrances, Page 7

Environment, Page 8

Carriage Square is Newly Renovated

The shopping center, at the corner of Redwood Road and 4100 South, is made up of retail stores, restaurants and other businesses. It is home to more than 40 individual business owners, and in many ways truly does represent the American Dream with those owners coming from at least 10 di erent areas of the world.

Renovation of the center began, as anticipated, last spring following the award of the bid in fall 2022. The work was completed in December, and a Ribbon Cutting event is planned in the coming months to celebrate the nished project.

The renovation has included demolition and repaving of the entire parking lot, the planting of new landscaping throughout, the installation of an irrigation system to support those trees and shrubs, the addition of curbs and gutters for ADA compliance, and the widening of sidewalks and patio areas to support outdoor seating along building fronts.

"Carriage Square is lled with fun shops and restaurants that are locally owned," Mayor Kristie Overson said. "They are a vibrant part of our Taylorsville community, and we are hopeful the renovations will increase foot tra c to their businesses.”

In conjunction with the project, the City of Taylorsville has been featuring several of the Carriage Square shops over the past year in a series of articles called "See What's New." Read the one highlighting Saigon Supermarket on Page 4 of this section and nd all of the articles at www.taylorsvilleut.gov.

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EVENTS MARCH 2024

March 6 & 20 – 6:30 p.m.

City Council Meeting @ City Hall and online. Watch a livestream of the meeting on the city’s website, www.taylorsvilleut.gov

March 12 & March 26 – 6:30 p.m.

Planning Commission Meeting @ City Hall.

March 10 – 2 a.m.

Daylight Saving Time begins. Move your clocks ahead one hour.

March 19 – 4 to 6 p.m.

Public Open House @ Taylorsville Library. Give your input on design options for Valley Regional Park. See ad on Page 4 of this section.

March 28 – 7 p.m.

Free Localscapes Class @ City Hall Council Chambers. Sponsored by the Green Committee. See ad on Page 8 of this section.

March 29 & 30 – 7:30 p.m.

A Musical Revue @ the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center. Presented by the Taylorsville Arts Council, it will feature the music of Broadway’s Stephen Schwartz.

our calendar of events every month on the city’s website, where you can also submit your own events for possible publication. Go to www.taylorsvilleut.gov

COUNCIL CORNER

By Council Member Anna Barbieri

City’s Relationship with Legislature is Critical in Keeping Our Neighborhoods Strong

The 45 days toward the rst of the year are always interesting in Utah, and this year was no exception. Utah legislators met from Jan. 16 to March 1 in the 2024 General Session of the 65th Utah Legislature and took up hundreds of impactful issues.

To learn more about their work and the process itself, the 3A Community Council (whose district I represent on the City Council) invited Taylorsville’s government relations specialist John Hiskey to speak to us. Even though it was a cold and rainy February night, more than 25 people turned out to discuss issues before the Legislature and their potential impact on our neighborhoods.

John represents the city during the legislative session each year and provided an outstanding overview of the bills under consideration. He explained that Taylorsville has four members of the Utah House of Representatives and two members of the Utah Senate who represent portions of the city. He also told us that the city is a political subdivision of the state, which means that the Legislature provides the requirements for the operation of all city programs (public works, police, planning and zoning, building inspection, taxes, etc.) Thus, the relationship between the city and the Legislature is critical.

Topping the list of most important issues before the Legislature this year was housing. There is a cur-

rent shortage of 37,000 housing units in the state and yet there are nearly 190,000 entitled residential lots. An entitled residential lot is a lot that has received all required approvals and is ready for a housing developer to obtain a building permit. For example, West Jordan has 9,000 entitled lots. The problem for the developers is the cost of having to install the public infrastructure, such as roads, curb and gutters, sidewalks, water, sewer, etc., to support the building of residences on those lots.

Along with the Governors First Homes initiative, legislative proposals included developing a funding source from which homebuilders could borrow to be able to construct the needed infrastructure. These funds would come in the form of loans at a favorable interest rate, provided as an incentive for new housing construction.

Over the past few years, legislation also has been considered that would preempt local control of planning and zoning, which I know was surprising to some of those attending our Community Council meeting. Several of those attending were unaware of the extent that cities must make to keep these decisions about zoning at the local level.

We were all in agreement about the important role of local government in making decisions about our neighborhoods rather than having speci c zoning imposed. It is true that government closest to the people works best, as we know our neighborhoods and communities and what they need to keep them strong and ourishing. One size ts all usually doesn’t work.

Those attending raised concerns about the impact of short-term rentals and the purchase of homes by companies in their neighborhoods. They expressed a desire for developing a program to provide assistance for the purchase of existing homes by first-time homebuyers. There was also discussion about the need for alternative transportation opportunities for pedestrians and bicyclists.

I am grateful to members of the Community Council for their valuable contribution in shaping the vision for Taylorsville City and their dedication to our neighborhoods. I also want to thank John for representing our interests so well at the Legislature. It takes all of us, working together, to ensure our community is the best it can be.

Evening Event Features Couple, Their Work and Love of Art

Taylorsville City’s Plaza +ART program welcomed husband-and-wife artists Doug and Dianne Adams for its third Evening of Art, a new city-sponsored event where artists speak about their work and inspiration behind their art pieces.

“The evening was simply lovely,” said Mayor Kristie Overson. “We were so delighted to host the Adamses, and it was truly inspiring to hear them speak and learn more about them.”

Doug is a metal bell sculptor, whose art piece “Torri Gate” is on display at Centennial Plaza, and Dianne is a watercolor and mixed-media artist. They shared stories about their artwork and details on how they go about it. They also generously donated two of their own art pieces that were raffled off to those attending, with proceeds bene tting the Plaza +ART program.

Titled "Fall in Love with Art,” the free, public event was held the day after Valentine’s Day at the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center. These Evening of Art events are planned as a way for the community to learn about and enjoy art.

The next such event is planned for May 14, featuring artists Chad Poppleton and Maren Arnell. Another Evening of Art also will be held in October, with artists to be announced.

Follow Plaza +ART on its new Facebook page for all the event details.

Register for the 2024

Taylorsville Dayzz 5K and Kids Run! Early bird pricing for the 5K until April 1. Shirt, finishers medal, swag bag and chip timing all included for only $25 (5K)

$15 (Kids Run)

Scan the QR code to register and for more info!

Saturday June 29

LEFT TO RIGHT: Bob Knudsen, (District 5), Curt Cochran, Chair (District 2), Anna Barbieri, (District 3), Meredith Harker, Vice Chair (District 4) and Ernest Burgess (District 1)

See what’s new at Carriage Square! We've been highlighting Carriage Square businesses over the past several months in advance of renovations to the shopping center. Be sure to stop by this fun section of Taylorsville, and watch for a Ribbon Cutting event to celebrate the completed project.

Saigon Supermarket, located at 1789 W. Carriage Square, is a family-owned and operated Asian grocery store o ering a wide range of authentic Vietnamese and other Asian products.

Charlie Nguy, owner and manager of Saigon Supermarket, said the number of customers, along with his own experience running the store, has increased exponentially since opening the supermarket several years ago.

Nguy built on his know-how running a restaurant before opening Saigon Supermarket. “At first it was very tough but I’m doing better, now that I have more experience,” Nguy said in regard to running a store for the rst time.

Storefronts like Saigon Supermarket also have attracted more businesses to Carriage Square, he said. The supermarket and other storefronts like Café Thảo Mi have brought in re-

curring customers, to build a core Vietnamese demographic. Nguy explained that the sales of Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laos, Chinese and other Asian foods allow for a diverse demographic of returning customers who shop at the supermarket.

You can visit Saigon Supermarket ever day of the week. It's open Monday-Sunday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Whether you’re shopping for groceries or looking for authentic Asian snacks, Saigon Supermarket is the perfect place to go.

New Businesses Celebrate Grand

Among the new openings in Taylorsville over the past few months were Dirty Dough and Revity Medical. Both celebrated with Ribbon Cutting events and are detailed below:

DIRTY DOUGH — From “Delta Doodle,”“Raspberry Toaster Tart” or “the Muscle” to a traditional chocolate chip, you can now enjoy all your favorite tasty cookies at Dirty Dough in Taylorsville. The new store is located at 5474 S. Redwood Road and celebrated its grand opening with a festive Ribbon Cutting and free cookies.

“What a fun event that was,” said Mayor Kristie Overson. “A lot of people were there, and they had some opportunities for kids to be outside and playing miniature golf, so it was a great time.”

Dirty Dough has almost 50 locations nationally, with 16 stores in Utah. Visit their website, dirtydoughcookies.com, for additional information and store hours.

REVITY MEDICAL — Located at 6087 S. Redwood Road, Revity Medical is a hormone replacement therapy clinic that o ers services for both men and women.

Among such treatments are IV therapy, Genomic Testing, Semaglutide for weight loss and concierge services which include immunity boosting injections, Toradol (anti-in ammatory and pain reliever) and basic primary care.

“Helping clients feel their best and healthiest is our primary objective,” said Revity’s Shannon Kalpako . See their website, revitymedical.com, for more information, to take a hormone test and request an appointment.

Read additional details and more about other new businesses opening in Taylorsville on the city’s website, www.taylorsvilleut.gov.

Dirty

When it Comes to Graffiti, Keep These ‘3 Rs’ in Mind

Check this space each month for news about the Taylorsville Police Department (TVPD) and their valuable service to our community.

Unfortunately, Taylorsville City is not immune to gra ti. In addressing this issue, residents are encouraged to remember the 3 Rs: Report, Remove, Re-Group.

1. Report any gra ti observed in Taylorsville to TVPD.

2. Remove: TVPD partners with the Salt Lake Metro Gang Unit which has, in cooperation with Salt Lake County, developed a program if you need assistance in removing gra ti on your property. You can learn more about the program at updsl.org under the Services and Gra ti Removal tabs.

3. Re-Group: We encourage residents to consider starting a neighborhood watch group and report any suspicious or criminal activity to police. (Pictured are Mayor Overson and members of our wonderful Youth Council after painting over some gra ti in summer 2022).

EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH

Congratulations to O cer Lutz, our latest Taylorsville Police Department Employee of the Month. O cer Lutz joined TVPD upon its formation and has more than 13 years of law enforcement experience, previously working as an o cer with the Salt Lake City Police Department. Additionally, O cer Lutz has more than 20 years of experience in the United States Army.

He currently is assigned to TVPD’s patrol division and joint SWAT team. His experience includes training with SLCPD’s K-9 unit, SWAT team, patrol, eld training o cer and less lethal weapons instructor. He attended Salt Lake Community College, as well as the Art Institute of Salt Lake City.

O cer Lutz was nominated for recognition by Det. Gordon with our Violent Crime’s Division due to his lead role in locating a dangerous fugitive. This fugitive suspect was on the run from Adult Probation and Parole and suspected of endangering a juvenile from Taylorsville. O cer Lutz tracked the fugitive through multiple cities in Salt Lake County but ultimately found he was in Nevada. It was further suspected that the fugitive was trying to coerce individuals to deliver the endangered juvenile to him.

Due to O cer Lutz’s persistent investigation, the suspect’s conspiracy to entice/kidnap the juvenile was interrupted. Instead, the suspect was greeted by several law enforcement o cials in Nevada and extradited to Utah on his outstanding warrants. Det. Gordan stated that if it were not for O cer Lutz’s “quick action and thorough investigation, the involved juvenile could have been enticed by this known fugitive and taken anywhere.”

When O cer Lutz is not serving the citizens of Taylorsville, he spends time oil painting, paddle boarding and coaching little league baseball. Thank you, O cer Lutz, for your service and commitment to Team Taylorsville!

Taylorsville Bennion Heritage REMEMBRANCES

Hazel Paxton Helped Start School Lunch Program in 1930s

Following is the history of Taylorsville resident and pioneer descendent Hazel Pixton Paxton, as told in her words (edited for clarity and space):

I am Hazel Pixton Paxton. My parents are Willard Cooper Pixton and Isabella Carter. Father was an original Utah pioneer — son of Robert Pixton, a soldier in the Mormon Battalion. My mother was so proud that her father, Grandpa Carter, plowed the rst half acre of land in Utah. She would always show me the gold medal he received for that distinction.

I went to school at the 38 District school, later called Plymouth. The property was originally owned by my grandfather, Robert Pixton. Later, to attend the University of Utah, I would ride with other students in a horse-drawn buggy from State Street in Murray and then transfer to a streetcar, which took us to Salt Lake City, and nally transfer again to get to the university.

I married Eugene Paxton, the love of my life, in 1909. I always told Gene that he took my “i” out when my name changed from Pixton to Paxton. We rented an apartment on Redwood Road for a while. My father, Willard, gave us a building lot on 4800 South across from the Plymouth schoolhouse. All of my children were born in my bedroom of that house. We lived there until 1938. When my parents passed away, we moved into the home where I was born.

I became Parent Teacher President of Plymouth School on Oct. 1, 1932. At that time, the district saw need for a lunch program. A lot of children were undernourished because of the Depression. Our school was the rst to try this in Utah. We prepared a hot cup of soup or sometimes cocoa and a cracker at our homes and carried the food in a wagon to the school. Over the next two years, we worked with the government W.P.A. (Work Progress Administration) program, which supplied, butter, dried milk, canned meat and tomatoes.

During the winter of 1935-36, the government paid for use of a nearby kitchen and paid three of us to prepare the meals. We served approximately 300 lunches daily for two more years before the school district assumed responsibility for the program.

Gene and I were both active in the neighborhood and the community. We had four boys in Scouting. Gene and I were proud and concerned, as those same four boys, Lester, Calvin, Willard and Eldon, served our country in wartime — all at the same time.

You can learn more about Hazel Pixton Paxton and the histories of many other Taylorsville residents at the Taylorsville-Bennion Heritage Center, 1488 W. 4800 South. Drop on by!

Don’t Miss These Library Events

The Taylorsville Library has planned several programs during the month of March. You’ll want to mark your calendar for these events:

VIRTUAL LECTURE: The Women of Marathon Swimming — Monday, March 4, 7 p.m. Elaine Howley will discuss the dynamic world of endurance swimming and highlight the remarkable achievements of women in the sport, drawing from her own experience as an accomplished marathon swimmer. Register at thecountylibrary.org/LectureSeries

SELF-IMPROVEMENT BOOK CLUB — Saturday, March 9, 11 a.m. Meet other readers interested in self-improvement and self-discovery in this monthly book club. The March book pick is “The Four Tendencies” by Gretchen Rubin.

PRE-ECLIPSE SOLAR VIEWING EVENT — Saturday, March 23, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Drop by the library to safely view the sun with representatives from the Astronomical Society of the Paci c. Learn about the upcoming solar eclipse on April 8. This program will be outside. Solar eclipse glasses are available while supplies last.

TEEN & TWEEN HOMESCHOOL CODING CLUB: Fiero Coding — Monday, March 25, 1 p.m. Meet other teens and learn how to code using Fiero Code. Come to the library for this monthly unplugged coding activity followed by a self-guided coding adventure. Limited laptops provided during the program.

VIRTUAL LECTURE | TWO YEARS OF JWST: New Discoveries Across the Universe — Tuesday, March 26, 7 p.m. Dr. Lothringer will provide an update on what NASA’s newest and biggest space telescope, JWST, has been observing in its rst two years of operation. Register at thecountylibrary.org/LectureSeries

TAYLORSVILLE SENIOR CENTER

4743 S. Plymouth View Drive March Class Highlights

The Taylorsville Senior Center has planned a variety of classes this month. Among them are: HEAT Program Outreach Event: The HEAT Program can assist with your high utility bills. Get assistance with your HEAT application on Thursday, March 21, from 9 a.m. to noon in the Wood Room. Must have proof of income, retirement bene ts and SSI/SSDI bene t documents ready. Registration is required.

Tai Chi for Arthritis: This eight-week Tai Chi class is designed to help improve balance, exibility and posture. Class will meet Mondays and Thursdays beginning Monday, March 18, at 2 p.m. in the aerobics room. You do not have to have arthritis to participate.

Free UVU Health Screening: Get a free health screening from Utah Valley University nursing residents on March 26 from 10 a.m. to noon in the aerobics room.

Drums Alive: Work out to the rhythm of the beat. Class is every Wednesday at 2 p.m. in the aerobics room. Visit the center’s website at www.slco.org/taylorsville-senior-center for other activities and lunch menu information. The Taylorsville Senior Center is located at 4743 S. Plymouth View Drive and can be contacted by phone at 1-385-468-3370.

ANNUAL COLLECTION DAY

MARCH UPDATES

Know Before You Throw

On Tuesday, Jan. 30, a re occurred in the cargo bed of one of WFWRD’s recycling trucks while on route in an east Millcreek neighborhood.

The district is grateful that the driver was only shaken up and not injured, and for the quick response of the Uni ed Fire Authority (UFA) to extinguish the ames. The damaged truck was towed to the salt-pile area along Wasatch Boulevard to allow the UFA space and time to completely extinguish the re.

Pam Roberts, General Manager and CEO, said, “I am so thankful that our driver was not injured, and I thank the Uni ed Fire Authority and Millcreek teams for acting so quickly dosing the ames and keeping everyone safe. This is an example of why waste and recycling collection is such a dangerous job. The truck got so hot that the CNG Tanks o -gassed as they are designed to do, so the tanks did not explode.”

Inspectors have determined that the cause was not a mechanical or truck malfunction. Rather, it appears that a non-recyclable item was placed in a recycling can. While the item has not yet been identi ed, common causes for res in trucks are batteries, which may spark as the truck compacts the materials. Any type of battery can cause this issue. Other items that have been known to cause res in trucks are empty propane tanks, hot ashes from replaces or barbeques, or chemicals such as household hazardous waste.

As a reminder, everything that is marked “recyclable” is not always recyclable through the blue-can pickup. Although recyclable, batteries must not be placed in your curbside cans. There are locations that accept used batteries, such as Home Depot. Please take the extra time to dispose of them properly.

The action of a resident who thoughtlessly or unknowingly placed the wrong item into their recycling can ultimately caused a dangerous and expensive problem. The initial estimate from the manufacturer for repairs to the truck body is $110,000 to $125,000. A new truck body is roughly $189,000, and for context, a new truck currently sells for approximately $400,000.

Please help prevent this from happening in your neighborhood and nd guides to what is and is not accepted in recycling cans on the WFWRD website: wasatchfrontwaste.org/how-recycle.

Keep Your Drains and Pipes 'FOG' Free with These Tips

Fats, oils and grease, aka FOG, have the potential to cost you money and cause problems in your household drains, as well as the sewer collection system, if not handled properly.

Commonly used cooking oils and grease disposed in sink drains can lead to sewer-line backups in homes and businesses. Sewer main backups may over ow onto streets creating adverse impacts to public health and the environment.

The easiest way to solve the FOG buildup problem is to keep it out of the sewer system. Here are a couple of tips:

• Pour cooled FOG into a can or other container with a tight lid (co ee can, glass jar or plastic container) and dispose of it in the garbage.

• Place baskets/strainers in sink drains to catch food scraps and other solids then empty the drain baskets/strainers into the trash.

If you have any questions, please contact Taylorsville-Bennion Improvement District by calling 801-968-9081 or visiting www.tbid.org. Follow TBID on Facebook and Twitter.

The Taylorsville Green Committee is hosting TWO LOCALSCAPES CLASSES in March & April

Thursday, March 28th

Thursday, April 11th

Both start at 7 pm City Council Chambers 2600 W. Taylorsville Blvd